How or why does identifying as Mennonite matter for today’s youth? That’s the question speaker Dale Schrag will explore at an April 11 seminar for youth and parents at Salford Mennonite Church starting at 7 p.m. The event, sponsored by Eastern District and Franconia Conferences, related Mennonite schools, and a number of area churches, is part of a twice a year series designed to stimulate and encourage Sr. High youth and their parents in their faith walk. The event is free of charge and high school aged Mennonite youth and their parents are encouraged to attend.
Dale Schrag is the campus pastor and the director of church relations at Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas, and is a regular speaker on Anabaptist related topics. At this seminar, Dale will describe Anabaptist theology and its importance as a window through which we can see and understand Jesus, with a focus on its relevance to youth. Says Dale, “One of the questions I hear young people asking is how do I claim my Mennonite identity without being exclusive and inhospitable to those of other denominations and faiths? In addition, folks outside the Mennonite church are always asking who we are. The question needs to be unpacked. It frequently has cultural and ethnic overtones, rather than theological ones.” These issues will be discussed, and a question and answer time will end the evening, along with light refreshments.
For more information, contact Ben Wideman at Salford Mennonite Church, 215-256-0778, or see the related Facebook link.
The opinions expressed in articles posted on Mosaic’s website are those of the author and may not reflect the official policy of Mosaic Conference. Mosaic is a large conference, crossing ethnicities, geographies, generations, theologies, and politics. Each person can only speak for themselves; no one can represent “the conference.” May God give us the grace to hear what the Spirit is speaking to us through people with whom we disagree and the humility and courage to love one another even when those disagreements can’t be bridged.